This invention relates to new polyketone polymers and a novel process for the preparation of these new polyketone polymers.
Polyketone polymers, particularly linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and an ethylenically or alkenically unsaturated hydrocarbon are very well known in the art. These polymers, in the USA, are proprietary to Shell Oil Company, and will become commercially available as CARILON.RTM. thermoplastic polymer. They are now the subject matter of hundreds of patents issued to Shell Oil Company. These patents are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,049,650, and 4,940,777 their disclosures which are herein incorporated by reference.
Polyketone polymers are relatively high molecular weight materials having established utility as thermoplastics in the production of shaped articles by the methods conventionally employed with thermoplastics.
The polyketone polymers, by virtue of the presence of carbonyl groups, are converted into other types of polymer to modify the properties of the polyketone. The carbonyl groups undergo a number of broadly conventional reactions to produce polymeric derivatives such as polyols, polythiols and polyamines. It is desirable to provide polyketone-type polymers with further functional groups. The present invention provides novel polyketone polymers which incorporate further functional groups, and a process of producing such polymers.